Mr. URBAN, Norwich, Jan. 17. ants to this work, are not displayed as an YOUR obfervant correfpondent, Mr. alluring bait to catch a credulous pub John Bannister, communi- with that fome Scientific na cated to the publick through your Magazine, (LXXI. p. 1082,) and his own lynopfis of husbandry, a truly, fingular and unnatural production, nothing lefs than an ear of wheat bearing the feed of the cockle!!! equally as wonderful, as his Critick, in the Commercial and Agricultural Magazine, jocosely exprefles himself, as if a mare were to foal a flying fish !!! See now the wonderful difference between observation and judgment. Had Mr. B. permitted his observation of Nature to have been led by the leading-ftring of system, he would have discovered that this mirabile dićtu was a vegetable production of the order Fungi, in the class Cryptogamia, of the Linnæan system of Botany, and of the genus Sphæria. A fimilar production has been observed upon cabbage plants, and thence named Sphæria braffice; which has in like nianner been fuppofed by the ignorant to be the feed of the cabbage. Mr. B. afferts that these fungi are the feeds of the cockle, with as much confidence as though he had actually raised plants from them. But fuch confidence may ever be observed to be the confiant at tendant on "little, haughty ignorance," I do not know that this Sphæria has been named by botanists. The name of S. tritici would not be unapplicable. This might be adduced, among many other instances, as proof of the utility of the nomenclature of botany; a science held in great contempt by many a foaring genius, who, mounted on his Pegasean courfer, conceives himself equal to the dictating laws to Nature, as he travels poft through her various kingdoms. It is by fuch observers that errors are propagated, to the great detriment of natural science. Permit me to observe that in the first number of Dr. Rees's new Cyclopædia (the botanical part of which is aflerted to be under the direction of Dr. J. Stokes,) the Abele-tree is defined to be a fpecies of poplar with large leaves. What botanift can possibly be fatisfied with fuch a definition, or can believe it to have procceded from the pen of fo able a botanist as Dr. Stokes? The article Aberdavine must be equally unfatisfactory to the ornithologist. Let us hope that the respectable names, mentioned in the profpectus as aflift turalifts, and you must know many fuch among your readers, would, after the example of the Southern Faunist, communicate their observations and difcoveries to the publick, through the medium of your useful Repofitory. Such a vehicle for information, in the department of natural hiftory, is a real defideratum. Yours, &c. I Mr. URBAN, TYRO-BOTANICUS. Jan. 10. FIND from quotations in Reland's Palættine, vol. 1. p. 188, that the Saronitic wine is there celebrated for bearing two parts of water to one of wine. I would therefore beg leave to afk a question, which is suggested by this paflage; might it not be very conducive to health, were gentlemen, who are in the habit of drinking much strong wine, to adopt this method : The quotations alluded to are as follow: Vinum Saroniticum יין השרוני celebratur, quod duas aquæ partes (מוג שני חלקי מיס ואחד יין) ferre poterat. Hic erat vulgaris mif cendi modus. Plinius, lib. 23. 1. Vulgo fatis putant unum vini cyathunm duobus aquæ mifceri. Græcis commemoratur πόμα κεκραμένον δύο καὶ τεία, id eft, quum duæ partes vini et tres aquæ funt, tesie Suida. J. MILLS. Mr. URBAN, L Dec. 17. OOKING into your vol. LXVIII, p. 1013, 1 obferved a letter, defiring the name of a small fish, of which you have given a plate, taken from the mud left on the bank of the river Soar. I know not whether you have been able to gratify Mr. Throsby's curiofity: but you may, if you think proper, ininfert the following account, both for his information and that of others who feel themfelves interested in the enquiry. Some years ago a clergyman, visiting a gentleman who lives on the banks of the Trent, faw several small fish in a hand-hason of water, which attracted his notice. Lie fuppofed them to be loach, but the gentleman affured him that they were not; and that he neither knew, nor could he meet with any perfon who did know, their name. This raised the curiofity of the clergyman, who faid he was going to London; and, if permite ted, ted, he would take one with him to fhew to Sir Joseph Banks. One was given to him, which he shewed to Sir Jofeph and to Dr. Solander, They said that it was a common fish on the Continent, but they did not know that it was ever before found in this Island. They were deemed to great a curiosity, that the clergyman defired to have a few fent him in London alive; and seven, I think, were fent to him, two of which were given to the Royal Society. When this fish was fent to London, it was faid to have no English name, but was termed in Latin, Cobitis Tania. Berkenhout, in his Synopfis (edit. 1795), terms it the bearded loach, and fays that it is found in lakes and ponds, and quotes the authority of Ray. He then adds, " also in the Trent;" but gives no authority for it; whence I conclude that he had either feen or heard of these fish found by a gentleman living on the banks of the Trent, and fuppofed them to be taken out of that river. But the fish were not taken on the Trent, nor have I ever heard of one being found there. The gentleman took them from a canal near his house, among the mud, as Mr. Throfby found his; and this agrees with what Berkenhout mentions from anthority, viz. " in lakes and ponds," which are generally muddy. The Trent has a clear gravelly bottom, and, I think, on that account not frequented by these fish. I wish to know when the first edition of Berkenhout's Synopfis was published, and whether "alto in the Trent" was in that edition. The fith were fent to London at least ten years before 1795. Mr. URBAN, PISCATOR. Jan. 12. PERHAPS it may be necefiary to accompany the engraving of the stone, vol. LXXI. p. 793, with fome further defcription. It has been stated, in vol. LXIX. p. 1067, that it formerly laid in Conifbro' church-yard, and is now removed into the church. It is a grey ftone (not marble) near fix feet long, two feet broad at one end, gradually lessening like a coffin without elbows, to four inches narrower at the other, and is about fifteen inches thick. The upper fide is ridged like a house top; only one side (as represented fig. 6) and the top have any carvings; the other file, ends, and bottoms, are entirely rough with the marks of the chisel. The figures res prefented fig. 6. need no further description. The top of the stone is di vided by a pale down the centre, on each fide of which are five circles (though fig. 6 erroneoufly exhibits feven, and only on one fide the pale); each of these circles has contained a carving, now scarcely diftinguishable; but each feems to have heen a man on horseback, or fome other animal. Two of the circles are yet pretty distinct; in each a cavalier drawing a bow againft the other. Above thefe, at the thick end of the stone, and not furrounded by any circle, is the fig. 7, which, indeed, seems a fcriptural allufion, Adam and Eve, with the tree and ferpent. Even with it, on the other fide of the pale, is fculptured two cavaliers, combatant, with bows and arrows, on prancing horfes; and on one fide them. a man with uplifted arms. Yours, &c. CONISBRO'. Mr. URBAN, walks of Science and Philanthrophy, Fame, I cannot but think it the bounden duty of every one who is benefited by their inftruction, or relieved by their liberality, to make his acknowledgements as public and as explicit as he can. In conformity with this rooted perfuafion, Sir, I here prefume, respectfully, to point out to the admiration of your enlightened readers the character of a man whose extreme modesty is his greateft failing; a man, Mr. Urban, who has done more good, in proportion to his limited means, than any other perfon whose name is familiar to my cars. That man is JOHN DAWSON, of Sed burg, near Kendal, in Westmoreland. Mr. Dawson commenced his mortal career about seventy years ago, (for I believe fuch to be nearly his age), in a very humble fituation. Almoft felftaught, he has gradually improved his mental powers, till he has become the first mathematician in England. This affertion, if it needed any illustration, would readily meet with it in the inathematical University of Cambridge. Almost all the great men of that effablishment, resident in the different col-. leges, have received best part of their education under his eye and direction,. dwing their long vacations. A tew intiances may futice: Mr. Palmer, feDior wrangler, of St. Johu's; Mr. Jack, fecond wrangler, of St. John's; Mr. Barrifon, fenior wrangler, of Queen's; Mr. Strickland, fecond wrangler, of Trinity, Mr Butler, fenior wrangler, of Sidney; Mr. Tindall, of Trinity. All these gentlemen, and hundreds more, whose names I will not here enumerate for fear of prolixity, have often cheerfully avowed their obligations to Mr. Dawson's lectures. Strange as it may appear, it is no less true than ftrange, that Mr. Dawfon's emoluments from those labours (emoLuments fettled long ago by himself, and never yet advanced) are barely fufficient to defray the expences of firing, rooms, and candles! Mr. Dawson declares " it is his chief amusement to instruct;" and having learned in the language of Demonax, that Torῶτον εἰς Αρετην προθησεις όσον ἂν ὑφιλης τῶν ἡδονῶν, he found his own little patrimony fully adequate to all his wants and wishes. In vain, therefore, has Granta extended her arms, and fought to enrol him among the number of her worthielt fons. Ne deliberately declines every affectionate offer of honours, which he so richly deferves; and fatisfied with contentment, literature, and obfcurity, "Along the cool, sequester'd vale of life, Still keeps the noiseless tenour of bisway." But, though he beholds the prizes of literary ambition oculo irretorto, and declines to quit his native plains for all the fweets which Cambridge can afford; it furely becomes the members of that learned body to teftify their admiration of his worth, nay, I will not hefitate to add, their gratitude for his invaluable services, by fome more dignified token than the very elegant prefent of plate which I know they lately fent him. Lord Nelson's brother has just been created D.D. by the University, out of their refpect for the Hero of the Nile; and would a fimilar compliment to their tutor, their venerable friend, their nobly-difinterested benefactor, difgrace them?-O, no, no! of fenfibility will peruse this hurried, well-meant effufion; and the appeal will not have been made in vain. Trinity College. Mr. URBAN, IFI A CANTAB. Jan. 20. do not mistake (for I cannot find the place), there was enquiry made in your Mifcellany after the "wonderful travels of Prince Fanferriden." A tranflation of fuch a work was published by Evans, 1794; and they were faid to be in the country of Arcadia. I fufpect this was not the feene of the original travels, and wish for further information. Nothing can be more unhandfome to the literary publick than to persevere in errors of which explanations have so often been called for. Such are those of the editor of a fpurious Scotch coin, and the afferter of an unknown print in a private houfe. Are they afhamed of error or its retractation ? P. P. P. Yours, &c. Mr. Henry Leaver, Northumberland. I flatter myself, Me. Urban, that this hint will fuffice. I have ofien read your excellent Magazine in the Matter of Arts coffee-honfe. Some eye My. Thomas Rovewell, Wilts. :: 1. A Differtation on the newly-discovered Babylonian Infcription*. By Jofeph Hager, D.D. IT T was referved for father Ethanuel, a Carmelite frier, who refided fome time at Bagdad, to discover that the bricks of which the walls of Babylon were conftructed were impressed with characters. Nieubuhr and Beauchamp agreed with him in their relations; and, from bricks fent by the latter to Paris, copies of these inferiptions were tranfinitted to M. Heider at Weimar, and to profeffor Munter at Copenhagen. In the mean time the English East India Company ordered their governor at Bombay to procure them by the refident at Bafforah. "Thus were we gratified at the commencement of the present year and century at London with the first view of infcriptions, which, comparing them with the Perfepolitan characters,, as given by Le Bravn, Chardin, Niebuhr, and other travellers, appear to be of the fame brigin, being only more complex, and connected by long lines forming whole and half squares, stars, triangles, &c. so that they prove to be a different combination, though formed of nearly the fame elements, and nail-headed ftrokes."-By the Babylonian bricks here exhibited the whole difficulty, in regard to the origin of these characters, is removed, as it is evident that Babylon, in point of cultivation, was much earlier than Perfepolis; and that the Chaldeans were a celebrated people when the name of the Persians was scarcely known. "To confirm this opinion, and by it to prove that the Persepolitan characters were derived from the Babylonian, I have thought it neceffary to begin this work by a brief examination of the antiquity, et, tent, and feiences of the Babylonians; and, through feantiness of original monuments, to prove by astronomy, architecture, and languages, their wellfounded claim to antiquity; to thew that not only the Perfians, But the Indians, were difciples of the Chaldeans; that the Egyptians theselves probably derived their pyramids and obetilks from Babylon; and that the Babylonian infcriptions resemble that celebrated alphabet, which the Indians eall divine and celestial (deva nagari), * Of thefe bricks fee vol. LXXI. pp. 599 and 708. GENT. MAG. January, 1802. because they believe it was communi-. cated by the Deity himfelf in a voice from heaven; and I have tried to prove that they were not derived from heaven, but from our earth, and from the borders of the Euphrates. I have confirmed my affertion by means of the Tibetan characters, thole acknowledged defcendants of the Indian ones; and thus endeavoured to invalidate the opinion of their great antiquity and boafted originality of the Brantins." (Pref. xvi. xix.) "As the Babylonians were of high antiquity, their empire alfo acquired great extent, comprehending Sya ria or Affyria and Perfia; the antient Perfic language or Pelilevi was found by Sir Willian Jores to be a dialect of the Chaldean. The Chaldeans introduced themfelves at all foreign courts by their knowledge of astrology. Cr rus introduced the Magi into Perfia; and we have the authority of our countryman, Mr. Wilford, that the names of most of the Babylonian deities are to be found int the antient Sanfcrit books, and are to this day worshiped in India." The Doctor thinks feveral vestiges of Affyrian literature and arts might be found farther East beyond the Ganges and the Imaus, and the Arabic, now fo far fpread, is a daughter of the Chaldaic language; but he declines this research, and contents himself with observing, that the cleareft proof of the influence which the Chaldaic literature had in Arabia appears in their numbers, for which, like the Greeks, they often use alphabetic letters instead of cyphers; and alfo by the names of the days of the week, which were ufed among the antient Arabians, called Homerites. Boult shew their Aflyric origin, being exactly equal in number, and having the fate order as the Syriac alphabet, which proves that they were not only acquainted with it, but ufed it. The fame order of the alphabet is still common among the Arabians of Morocco, at the Western extremity of Africa, who, being now fo far feparated from their brethren the Oriental Arabians, and from their autient neighbours the Chaldeans, muil have been in poffeflion of this alphabet at a very early rly period. What farther proves the influence of the Chaldaic literature in Arabia is the Cufic writing, the most antient of all the kinds exifting, and of which few written monuments remain. Few libraries fervation; but withheld it, hecause he discovered that he was anticipated in his intended remarks (a circumstance which he feems not to have been aware of when he first designed to publifh those remarks) by Dr. Rennell. Dr. Rennell's strictures therefore did not fugget the idea in the first instance to the Bishop of Meath; they fimply expreffed his fentiments. This mistake has caufed Dr. Vincent to charge the Mafier of the Temple very unjuly with being the Bishop's "Guide" and "Oracle" in this accufation, which (as far as appears from what has as yet been published) he certainly was not. The Bithop thought for himself upon the fubject; and, 1 conceive, will shortly declare so to the publick. at Surely Dr. V. mifunderftands Dr. R., when he accuses him of infinuating in his fermen, that "a preference is due to the religious education of charity fchools compared with inftruction in public feminaries." Dr. R. has no where faid or even hinted fuch an idea. Ilis argument in the patlage quoted by Dr. V. is obviously the following: that fince the religious part of education is neglected in those feminaries where young perfons of rank and fortune are infiructed, there is the greater neceflity of paying peculiar tention to the religious education of the poor; in order that the poor " may not be corrupted by the profligate example and irreligious conduct of those in the upper ranks of life, which fuch a neglect of their religious education must neceffarily produce." Every unprejudiced perfon who will read the fermon alluded to, and mark its general defigu, will perceive, I think, that this is Dr. R's meaning, and that his words are totally incapable of of any other interpretation. Dr. V. in p. 14 of his pamphlet, accutes Dr. R. of being guilty of a great abfurdity in objecting to the reading of Pagan authors in schools," and calling this cufiom a pagan education." Now, it is impotlible for any one who knows any thing of the learned Mafter of the Temple, and who has read the whole of his fermon, to underfiand the language of the note alluded to in the fenfe here given to it. The note is as follows: "There is fearcely an internal danger which we fear but what is to be afcribed to a Pagan education under Chritian etablithments in a Chriftian country." Is it rea'onable tappete, Mr. Urban, that fo great 5 an admirer of antient learning and claffical literature as Dr. R. could mean by this remark to object to the reading of Pagun authors in public fchoolsImpotible. The general drift and tenor of all his ftrictures on this fubject fufficiently shew, that he means by a Pagan education, an education in which the reading of Pagan authors confitutes the whole business; while the reading of books which contain inftruction upon the " fubject of Chriftianity makes no part of it." The reading of the antient claffics in schools is certainly very proper; but if it be not accompanied by "reading of the facred fcriptures occafionally, the education may jufly be called a "Pagan education." And this I apprehend is Dr. R's idea. The laft remark which I have to offer npon this pamphlet is, that Dr. V. indirectly charges the Master of the Temple with having accused public schools and seminaries of a "neglect of religious worship and facred ordinances:" an accufation which he "has no where advanced!" Dr. R. speaks exclusively of religious instruction. Nothing can be clearer or more reafonable than his idea. He contends for the observance in all public seminaries regular fyster of elementary intruction on the fubject of Revealed Re of a ligion; a fyftem in which the principal evidences of Chriftianity, its diftinguish ing doctrines and duties, and the outlines of Sacred History, are so taught, that the fcholars cannot fail of acquiring a reafonable degree of information upon these most important topicks. It is impoflible to understand his strictures in any other sense than this. But when Dr. R. cenfures public schools and feminaries for their neglect of religious inftruction, what does Dr. V. reply? reply He anfwers very properly in one part of his pamphlet, that at Weftminster the fcholars tranflate the Scriptures, learn the Catechifin, liften occafionally to Catechetical Lectures, and hear trequent explanations of Grotius; but in another part he states as a refutation of Dr. R's charge, that " prayers are read ten times a day," and that the fenior boys receive the Sacrament four times a year." This is doubtless very cominendable; but what anfwer is it to Dr. R.? If the boys attend prayers tirenty times a day, they may not obtain from their teachers that religious inftruction for which the Master of the Temple contends, or acquire any adequase " |